Just Stop Doing It!

A definite perk of my job is that I get to spend time with a lot of incredible people. This is what happens when you put yourself out there: the people you always wished existed actually begin to make themselves known to you. (Just another reason to start a blog, if you ask me.)

Ask me about the most interesting people I’ve ever met, and Danielle LaPorte would be way up there on that list. It makes sense, then, that one of the highlights of our trip to Vancouver was when she pulled up outside our apartment, piled us into her car, and took us to Nuba for dinner. We sat down, ordered drinks — wine for Kat, sangria for Shauna, something spicy with tequila and lime for Danielle and me — and started talking about business.

As we discussed some of the systems, checks and balances we had in place at The Blogcademy, one of us mentioned that she didn’t enjoy doing one particular task. The other two chimed in in agreement.

“Here’s an idea,” Danielle said. “Just stop doing it.”

Saying those words felt radical, momentous. Freeing. Like being let out of bondage. And when we got back to the apartment, we continued talking about it. The days wore on, and the discussion became, “I can’t wait to stop doing that!”

That’s one of Danielle’s talents, I think. She reminds you that you have permission to simply stop doing the things that don’t thrill you anymore. She reminds you that you can change your mind, whenever you like.

Years ago, I went to Selling Your Soul, an event featuring Danielle LaPorte and Marie Forleo. It was illuminating, to say the least. I scrawled pages and pages of notes, and a line that has always stuck out the most is this quote from Danielle: “Either find a way to make it fun, or find a way to get it off your plate.”

Passion is essential, or as Danielle would say, lack of passion can be fatal. If something has become tedious, it’s time to either find a way to make it enjoyable, scrap it, or outsource it.

So my question to you today is a simple one: what is one thing that no longer lights your fire? Now ask yourself, is there a way you could make it fun? Or is it time to leave it in the dust?